Ask Lisa: Can you freeze pineapple?

Q: I saw a good buy on fresh pineapple. Can it be frozen?— P.W., Upper Arlington, Ohio

A: Yes, fresh pineapple can be frozen, just make sure that you peel it and cut it into chunks before freezing.

If you plan to use the pineapple for blender drinks, such as smoothies, after freezing, you might want to freeze it in its own juice or in simple syrup made of equal parts sugar and water.

If you want to enjoy the thawed fruit after, consider first placing the pineapple chunks on a baking sheet to freeze, then placing the frozen nuggets in freezer bags or containers. If you don’t take this step, you may find your pineapple freezes together into one lump, making for a messier thaw.

Pineapple will lose some of its flavor in the freezing process, so don’t keep it in the freezer for more than 3 months.